For some on Thursday, that meant heading all the way to a Greenbelt gas station to pick up some free fuel. The Money One Federal Credit Union was behind the giveaway, which doled out $20 gift cards to the first 200 drivers at the Beltway Plaza Shell station on Greenbelt road.

The promotion led some people to line up for hours just for a shot at a free few gallons.

"You can count the times you get something free, especially gas, with the price right now," Charles Sturgis, who drove to the station all the way from Upper Marlboro, said.

The sad truth, though, is that $20 wont get you very far anymore. AAA officials say that Thursday marked the 18th consecutive day of gas price increases. The national average now sits at $3.71/gallon, and in the District of Columbia, it's 20 cents higher.

The fluctuations in prices, which were dropping like a rock just about a month ago, have been frustrating for drivers, to stay the least. Experts say that increases in the price of ethanol and crude oil and refinery problems have contributed to the changes as well.